Fan Groups Files Initiative To Keep Sonics At KeyArena

Friday, July 27th 2007, 12:43 pm

By: News On 6

SEATTLE (AP) _ A fan group has filed an initiative designed to keep the Seattle SuperSonics at KeyArena. The initiative would prohibit Seattle officials from allowing Sonics owners to buy their way out of the team's KeyArena lease before it ends in 2010.

The initiative needs nearly 18-thousand signatures from registered Seattle voters to qualify for the ballot. It would not go to voters until next February.

Initiative sponsors say they hope it will force the Sonics and the city of Seattle to compromise. The new owner of the basketball team says KeyArena won't work for the Sonics and the Storm even with the $200 million expansion requested by the former owners.

He has said the teams will move to his hometown of Oklahoma City unless a new arena is built for them in Washington state.